The ABC Murders

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Foreword-Chapter 3

Reading Check

1. Poirot takes particular pride in which aspect of his grooming?

2. In which city is Mrs. Ascher murdered?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How do Hastings and Poirot differ in their responses to the letter?

2. What is Poirot’s idea of the ideal crime for him to solve?

Chapters 4-8

Reading Check

1. What book is found at the scene of the crime?

2. Who was the last person to enter Mrs. Ascher’s shop the night she was murdered?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Mary Drower characterize her relationship with her aunt, Mrs. Ascher?

2. Why does Poirot delay his visit to the scene of the crime?

Paired Resource

“Much Madness Is Divinest Sense”

• This poem by Emily Dickinson contemplates the way that judgments regarding so-called “madness” are socially constructed.
• The poem connects with the theme of Genius, Madness, and Reason.
• How does the detectives’ labeling of the perpetrator of the ABC murders as “mad” impact the investigation? In which ways does Poirot embody Dickinson’s definition of “madness”?

Chapters 9-13

Reading Check

1. What was Betty Barnard’s job?

2. Which young, confident inspector disagrees with Poirot’s take on the case?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Megan’s opinion of her sister, Betty?

2. Why did Don Fraser spy on Betty on the night she died?

Paired Resource

“There’s More to Look Forward to After Peaking Professionally”

• This NPR article by Mary Louise Kelly discusses the way that professional expertise changes with age, for better and for worse.
• This content connects with the theme of Age and Youth.
• How well do the elderly Poirot and the younger Inspector Crome embody the traits discussed in this article?

Chapters 14-17

Reading Check

1. On which date does Poirot receive a letter warning of a crime to happen on the 30th?

2. What was Sir Carmichael Clarke doing when he was murdered?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. According to Mr. Cust, how did his experience in the war affect him?

2. How does Poirot respond when Hastings urges him to take action instead of simply reflecting on the case?

Paired Resource

“A Land Fit for Heroes? The Treatment of WWI Veterans in Great Britain”

• This 6-minute video explores the challenges veterans in England faced after World War I. (Content Warning: This source includes animated depictions of warfare.)
• Which elements from the video are applicable to Mr. Cust’s background and experiences?

Chapters 18-21

Reading Check

1. Who suggests that Poirot form an unofficial task force to further the investigation?

2. What kind of event is set to take place in Doncaster on the day of the next murder?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What significance does Poirot attach to Hastings’s humming?

2. What is Lady Clarke’s opinion of Thora Grey?

Chapters 22-26

Reading Check

1. Franklin Clarke shows Poirot an excerpt of a letter written by whom?

2. Where does the fourth murder take place?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Mr. Cust flee his rented room at the Black Swan?

2. Why is Inspector Crome disappointed in Mr. Leadbetter’s testimony as a witness?

Paired Resource

“Is Luck Real, and Can You Change Yours? It’s Complicated”

• This Washington Post article by Galadriel Watson explores the connection between the perception of luck and personal outcomes.
• The ideas in this resource offer a chance to discuss the theme of Chance, Choice, and Fate.
• Poirot insists that the killer’s luck is bound to run out. Does this article support his hypothesis?

Chapters 27-30

Reading Check

1. Who tells the police about Mr. Cust?

2. Where do the police find Mr. Cust’s hidden knife?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why do some of the Scotland Yard officers assume that Mr. Downes was the murderer’s intended victim?

2. Describe Mr. Cust’s state of mind as he returns to Andover.

Chapters 31-35

Reading Check

1. Poirot and Hastings overhear children singing a nursery rhyme about which kind of animal?

2. What object does Poirot claim that Franklin Clarke left a fingerprint on?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Poirot remain unsatisfied with the case even after Mr. Cust is arrested?

2. Why did Mr. Cust’s mother give him his unusual names?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

• Lord Peter Whimsey investigates a mysterious death in the English countryside.
• Shared themes include Chance, Choice, and Fate.
• Shared topics include class and romance.
• The Nine Tailors on SuperSummary

Still Life by Louise Penny

• In rural Canada, Inspector Armand Gamache investigates the death of an elderly artist.
• Shared themes include Age and Youth.
• Shared topics include greed and friendship.
• Still Life on SuperSummary